Automobile bumper guard



AUTOMOBILE BUMPER GUARD Filed Sept. 18, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 21, 1941. R. B. FAGEOL 2,259,440

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER GUARD Filed Sept. 18, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 040: a fi46f0 ATTORA/fy R. B. FAGEOL AUTOMOBILE BUMPER .GUARD Filed Sept. 18, 19:59 5 Sheets-Sheet s Oct. 21, 1941.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,259,440 AUTOMOBILE BUMPER GUARD Rollie B. Fageol, Beverly Hills, Calif. Application September 18, 1939, Serial No. 295,437

6 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile accessories and particularly pertains to an automobile bumper guard.

In the structure shown in my application, as above identified, and other applications, which are now pending, it has been found desirable to provide a yieldable and fully resilient impact element to be mounted upon the impact face of an automobile bumper. It is well known that the theory of a resilient automobile bumper is to comes to rest after impact. In accomplishing this result the automobile bumper flexes under impact. By the use of the present invention the period of impact is prolonged so that the vehicle will come to rest gradually and so that the force of impact will be transmitted to the bumper guard and to a degree dissipated prior to the time that this force is directly transmitted to the bumper bar. It is the principal object of the present invention, as distinguished from the inventionof my former applications, to provide a .resilient pneumatic cushionmember which will absorb a maximum impact shock prior to directly transmitting this shock to the bumper bar, the

structure being provided with means whereby .the bumper guard may be conveniently andrigidly supported upon the impact face of an. automobile bumper and whereby the bufier will undergo a maximum amount of deflection in absorbing the initial force of impact with the colliding body.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pneumatic buffer element which may be readily manufactured and which when assembled will maintain its sealed condition and will yieldably resist direct impact while being of a and rigidly so that irrespective of the force applied against it or the direction of said force the bufier structure will not be loosened and will readily deflect to accommodate this force.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the application of the present invention to a single bar automobile bumper.

prolong the period during which a moving body Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in transverse section through a form of an automobile bumper with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section showing another form of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section similar to that shown in Fig. 3 and indicating another form of bumper.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I0 indicates a bumper bar which is supported transversely of the forward end of an automobile frame. A pair of bumper guards II are securedupon the impact face of the, bumper bar and are presented for impact with colliding vehicles. The construction of the bumper guards is more particularly disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Referring particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the buffer comprises an annulus I2 which has a Wall I3 substantially oval in cross-section, and a central well I4 around which the body of the annulus occurs. In detail the section represented by the Wall I3 comprises a front fiat face I 5, a rear substantially flatface I6, an outer circumferential Wall portion I1, and an inner cylindrical wall portion I8. The wall portion I8 is formed at the bottom of the well I4 with a transverse Web I9.

This web is formed integral with the wall I8 and abuts against a complementary web 20 which is formed integral with the back wall I6. The webs I9 and 20 abut against each other against a transverse plane ZI, and in the process of manufacture are vulcanized together. The margins of ,these walls are feathered, thus insuring a firm vulcanized joint. Mounted within the well I4 of the annulus and lying fiat against the web I9 is a washerZZ. A complementary Washer 23 is mounted against theback face of the web portion 20. Attention is directed to the fact that the back face of the web portion 20 is inset from the plane of the back face I6 of the annulus. A central opening 24 is formed through the two webs I9 and 20 and accommodates the shank of the bolt 25. The opening 24 is of a materially iwill act to compress the annulus.

rconvexed face ,26 of the bumper-bar I 0. fo 6e will tend to flatten :theannulus -and' to-disfront face, and it is necessary to mount the present bumper guard against this front face in a manner to insure that the annulus will be free to flex and that the entire bumper guard structure will not loosen on its mountings. In the present instance this is accomplished by threading the bolt 25 from its outer end to a point lying within the passageway 24. Mounted upon this threaded portion is a nut 26 which when tightened on the bolt will bear against the washer 23. Thus, the washers 22 and 23 will be rigidly clamped at opposite sides of the Web structure including webs l9 and 20. of the nut 26 bears against the convexed face 21.

of the bumper bar l and acts to space the buffer' structure from the front face 21 of'the'bumper permit a desirable flexure of theannulus prior'to tend it circumferentially. It will be recognized that this distension and deformation may continue until the colliding object has encountered the head of the bolt 25. If that extreme condition takes place the force of collision will be thereafter transmitted directly to the bumper bar l0 through the bolt and the nut 26. In the event that the collision occurs with the bumper of another automobile the annulus may slip over the colliding bumper and hook with it. If such .a condition occurs the vehicles may be readily separated since the annulus of the buffer will The inner face. jib,e deformed easily to slip back over the colliding .wbumper bar so that the bumpers may be sepabar so that there will besuflicient. clearance to the time when the back wall 16 of the buffer than 'that shown in Fig. I 3, thus -making it possibleffora greater degre'e of deformation to take place in the buffer before the colliding object would abutagainst the head of the bolt =25.

In operation and use of the present invention the-bumper guards of the'design shown in either- Fig. -2 or Fig.--3 are mounted upon the bolts -25 lby inserting the bolts through the washer 22, then through the opening 24 in *thewebs "f9 and Ill-and then through the washer 23. The washersa're then drawntightly together -by the nut :26, after which thebolt 25isins'erted through .theopeningiiflin'the bumper bar [0. 'The'iwash- .er 28 is then p'lacedonthe 'bolt2'5 and the nut .29 is then tightened. It will -thusbe recognized that when'the bumperguard ismounted in this manner the back iace lB of the annulus will -be held spaced from. the impact face 'of the bumper bar 10 and. that the nut Z'S will :rigidly hold the annulus as well as act .tospace -therzbuffer from the bumper. bar. This insures that the' buffer will be, securely clamped and held independently of any action to clamp the structure upon the bumper, and that furthermore, the buffer will be rigidly clamped on the bumper independently of the clampingaction of the rubber annulus.

Due to this-arrangement there will be no opportunityfor the structure to become loosened on the bumper bar, and atthe same timethe buffer The result will be that the colliding object will encounter.thelfront face=16 of the buffer and This will deform the wall I 3 of the annulus and will change the-shape. of the compartment '31 within which air under, suitablepressure is'sealed. Under'extreme conditionsthe entire annulus willbefiexed with relation to its rigidly held webs 4 9 and 2fl so that its back face I6 will encounter the -'front Further rated without injury to either bumper. It will strikes a flat surface squarely, the surface being wider than the well I4, the air Within the well willbe entrapped and will form a cushion as it is compressed. This will additionally absorb the shock of impact. a

It will-thus be seenthat the structure'here dis} closed comprises simple and effective lneans to supplement the .action of an automobile bum-per in protecting :an automobile against a collision and for minimizing the shock of. collision while' providing a 1 structure which interpdse's a non-me "tallic resilient and pneumatic element between ithe colliding parts.

i While I have shown :the preferred form ,of my invention :as now known to me, 'it will .beunderstood thatzvarious changes may be made in :combination, construction and arrangement of parts *by .thoseiskilledl in the art, without departing 'from'ftherspirit "of my inventionas claimed. a Having thus described :my invention, what I claim .and ;desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

, J1. A bumper. guard comprising 'anZall-rubber :annulus providing. a central well presenting a Iforward opened :end circumscribed by a sealed compartment-forming .a pneumatic cushion; .a

transverse web formed :across the :rear: end 0f the well to close thersame and formed" integral "with the annulus,xandvzmeans engaging the web rand. securingthe annulusltothe face of a bumper ibanf2. ,Abumper guard adapted to be'mountedbn the :face of :.an.automobile bumper, which guarcl comprises 3:CUS1fiOI1 member :having a resilient back :wall, ;a ;circumferentially extending :pneu- -matic annular compartmentlcarried by the back wall and extending forwardly thereo'f, the'fiin ner --wall o'f vsaid compartment-defining a central well :opened at" its forward end, and-means passing through the back wall and the 1 bumper bar to .Js'ecure wtheguard to theibumper bar.

.3. The combination as set "forth in claim '2 alid imeans associated therewith for spacing the bumper guard from the impact face of, the

bumper bar. 7

- '4. In combination with an automobile bumper,

aguardadapted to be mounted on theimpact face thereof, 'said guarjd rb eing an all-resilient ing through central openingsof'sa'id plates, a

nut I on the 'bolt to "clamp the ,plates in gripping relatio'mto the transverse :wall, the end.of :the

bolt 1 being pf "sufficient length to, extend through an opening in a bumper "bar; and a ma en Lthe extension end of the bolt and'cooperating with the first named nut to clamp the bolt on the bar.

5. In combination with an automobile bumper, a bumper guard comprising a resilient pneumatic cushion element adapted to be disposed in advance of the impact face of a bumper bar and being of a diameter greater than the vertical width of said bar, the cushion element having a vertical back wall lying in a plane substantially parallel with the impact face of the bumper bar and being formed integral with two concentric forwardly extending wall sections connected at their forward edges with an annular front wall section whereby a pneumatic compartment will be formed within the cushion member, the inner concentric wall being of a diameter to form a well extending horizontally from the back wall and. opened at its forward end, a fastening washer disposed within the well and resting against the transverse back wall, a second fastening washer disposed against the back face of the back wall,

the back wall and the two washers being formed with aligned openings therethrough, a bolt'extending rearwardly through said openings and having a head resting against the front washer, a nut mounted upon the bolt and engaging the back washer to clamp the two washers in a gripping position upon the back wall, said bolt having an extension to project through an opening in a bumper bar and to permit said washer to rest against the front impact face thereof, a washer on the bolt resting against the back face of the bumper bar, and a nut on the bolt cooperating with the first named nut to clamp the structure on the bumper bar.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5, the rear wall of the cushion member being recessed in the area of the rear washer whereby the cushion member will be offset with relation to the face of the bumper bar.

ROLLIE B. FAGEOL. 

